


Better Things

by bardofmanyfaces



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Eberron
Genre: Angst, Healing, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Other, Tenderness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-09
Updated: 2020-01-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:35:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22179427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bardofmanyfaces/pseuds/bardofmanyfaces
Summary: Sad changeling bard finds stability and a healthy relationship after years of instability and toxicity.Oh no, it's another fic based off stuff that happened in our Eberron game!
Relationships: Original Nonbinary Character/Original Nonbinary Character
Kudos: 2





	Better Things

**Author's Note:**

> Still rusty, characters are still changeings, sorry if this is a bit of a jumbled mess, hope you enjoy!

> 1003 YK Somewhere, Breland...

A figure held themself up against the sink, staring through long strands of messy white hair into the mirror of some fancy inn’s bathroom they couldn’t be bothered to remember the name of. Their wide, black-framed eyes of pure white stared at the pale featureless face before them, tears streaming down their cheeks in thick rivers as their silent sobs shook their delicate frame. Hideous. Fucking hideous! A pathetic sound clawed its way out of the changeling’s throat, a barely-audible hiss of air that so desperately tried to be a growl, a yell, _anything_ to properly release the emotions building up inside them like hot steam in a kettle. Their grip on the edges of the basin tightens, the claws of a random dragonborn plucked from their hazy memory forming at the tips of their fingers. They shut their eyes tight as their face stretched forward into a half-hearted attempt at shapeshifting, only managing to form the vague wedge-shape of the same random dragonborn their hands borrowed the shape of, mouth now a snarl of sharp white points as another pitious hiss escapes them and a balled fist slams against the mirror. Just as their fist hit the mirror, the claws disappeared and their face changes back.

_I’m so fucking tired of this. ___

__Slowly, their bleary eyes opened back up and they saw the familiar ashen face of a tiefling, disheveled white fringe hanging in front of the right side of their face. They stayed like this for a few silent minutes, hand and forehead pressed to the mirror as they took multiple deep breaths to get themself to stop crying already. Their sobs had now grown audible, but thankfully the sink was still running, so hopefully whoever they were sleeping with tonight wouldn’t be able to hear them. Uhg… why? Why did they always do this? They should have just booked the same room as their brother, why did they think they could handle another night with some stranger? Did they really drink that much tonight? Their eyes shut again as a curse tumbled out from under their shaky breath, starting to feel queasy again. They took a few more deep breaths and tried their best to keep their bile from rising. If they didn’t calm down and crawl back into bed with that half-elf soon, she’d surely start to suspect something was wrong, and Nil absolutely did _not_ want to have to deal with explaining why they were sobbing in the bathroom after having sex._ _

__Another deep breath. A moment of silence. A splash of water to the face. Yeah. Okay. They could do this. It’s fine, really! This isn’t anything out of the ordinary, after all. Just another fun little somethin-somethin with another cutie who managed to find their drunken chatter charming... So what was the problem? Why did it leave them feeling so sick and filthy? This was supposed to be what they needed, right? Rhanvea was gone, it’s not like they had anywhere else to turn for this kind of attention. They were so good at what they did, sometimes people would come back for more if they ended up staying in the area… They should be proud of themself! That’s a really good thing, right? So… So why did they feel so much shame? A mix between a growl and a groan escaped them as they right themself and readjust the towel wrapped about them. Whatever! It didn’t matter. It probably just felt wrong because they were supposed to be doing this kind of shit with Rhan, not… boozed up strangers from random bars. Too bad she went and tried to kill them, though! No going back from that! So… her loss!! Nil manages a weak chuckle to themself as they finally turn the faucet off and ruffle their damp hair to help shake out any more excess water from their quick bath. They hum a little tune to themself as they cast prestidigitation on their face to get rid of the snot and tears from their meltdown._ _

___Yeah… Her loss._ _ _

__Nil slipped back into the headspace of a charmer who just triumphantly got laid, took a moment to admire the bruises starting to form around their neck, collarbone, and shoulders in the mirror, then finally opened the door to head back to the figure waiting for them back in the bed. “Sorry for the wait, didn’t want to go to bed with soaking wet hair… You know how it is.”__

____

> __Present Day Korth, Karrnath..._ _

____

After setting their guitar down nearby and taking their boots off, Nil flops down onto the bed with an exhausted huff. They had dropped their persona as soon as the door shut behind them, glad to finally have a proper moment alone to decompress… well, okay, not entirely alone. Standing at the door stood Lady Goldenrod, who couldn’t keep an amused giggle to herself at the sight of her companion sprawling out on the bed. Nil felt like their limbs were made of lead, and that they’d sink into the mattress like mud at any given moment… and god what a luxury a real mattress felt like! The hammocks back on the ship weren’t exactly uncomfortable, but they also weren’t real beds. Their spine almost ached just at the mere thought of having to go back to them after tonight. Not as much as their heart ached at the prospect of having to part ways with Vox for so long, but...

Lady Goldenrod walks over and takes a seat beside Nil on the bed, reaching over and gently moving a few stray locks of silky white hair out of their face. Her face, normally some degree of smug, had grown soft and warm as she gazed down at Nil, shortly shifting back into Vox now that the two of them had privacy. “Tired, are we?” they ask as they gently trace their hand down the side of Nil’s jawbone. Nil responds at first by leaning into the other changeling’s touch, but then quickly reaches up and gently pulls Vox down with them for some proper snuggles. Finally.

“Incredibly,” Nil replies softly as they tuck Vox’s head beneath their chin. Up until now, Nil had still been a bit on the shy side, only really having the confidence to perform small gestures of affection like hand kisses or pecks on the cheek at most. Now that the two weren’t in public or in front of Nil’s traveling companions, Nil felt much more comfortable taking more initiative with their affection. To their delight and relief, Vox didn’t seem to mind this at all, even nuzzling into them as they were held close. “Today was amazing, and I live for the kind of adrenaline rush that was, but I feel like I haven’t stopped moving in ages.” Nil takes a moment to kiss the top of Vox’s head, intending to continue their train of thought afterward. Vox beats them to that though, shifting in Nil’s embrace to lift their head and place a kiss of their own against Nil’s lips. Nil’s heart nearly leaps out of their ribcage as their stomach erupts with the feathery sensation of a swarm of butterflies. Vox, picking up on their partner’s surprise, pulls away slightly with another amused chuckle and slightly mischievous smile. They seemed to take delight in catching Nil off guard, and if Nil were to be completely honest… it was horribly, terribly endearing.

“From what I’ve seen, that definitely seems to be the case.” Vox reaches up and gently cups Nil’s face with a hand, caressing their soft cheek with their thumb. “I think that’s all the more reason to enjoy this moment while we can. Wouldn’t you agree?” they ask.

Nil melts under Vox’s touch and gaze, but manages a smile and a nod. “Guess your kiss took the words right out of my mouth,” they joke softly before turning their head to kiss Vox’s palm. The two share a quiet laugh together before both of them found themselves once more gazing into each others’ eyes. Vox could see the sadness starting to rise up from the seemingly endless amounts of love for them that Nil’s eyes held. A soft sigh with the same heavy sadness escapes them before they say, “ That being said, I’m still not looking forward to us no longer being within reach…” Nil feels Vox remove their hand from their face and gently press at the elbow of the arm Nil had wrapped around them until the two were holding hands. Nil managed to toss their gloves off earlier as well, so they could finally appreciate the feel of Vox’s touch to its fullest. Their smile returned at Vox’s silent comfort. “But you’re right… Right now, I’m just happy we both survived Abyssion and that I can finally hold you in my arms.” 

As the two spent their night snuggling together, it amazed Nil how soft Vox’s hands were in comparison to theirs. The hands of an artist and spellcaster were much less caloused than that of a musician’s, so they weren’t sure _why_ they were so surprised. Maybe it was all the travel, or the rough past that made Nil think otherwise? Not that it would have bothered them if Vox’s hands were similar to their own. They wouldn’t want to let go all the same. In fact, it took them picking their guitar back up to get them to release their hold for more than a few moments. Even when Vox got up to grab a drink or get more comfortable, Nil would gently tug them closer for a brief moment if only to give their hand a kiss before letting go. This got a few chuckles out of Vox that made Nil’s heart flutter faster than moth’s wings. 

The break they gave Vox’s hands were used, of course, to serenade them with a song. It was something they’d silently been writing in their head while waiting for sleep to carry them away at night, ever since they kissed at The Traveler’s Haven. It had even helped them fall asleep when they would have otherwise been too on edge in The Stone Ice Mountains. Something soft and sweet, something warm. Their hands delicately strummed away at the gentle melody, and as every love-laced lyric poured out from their mouth, the passion they felt was almost palpable. A bard trick? Or perhaps just the work of a musician who put their heart and soul into their art? Regardless, even though Nil didn’t have telepathy or the ability to whisk Vox away to a mindscape of sorts, Nil still managed to convey their emotions as if they were sharing a mind with their beloved warlock.

When the last note of their song finally faded to silence, Nil had to quickly set their guitar aside on the bed to catch Vox in their arms as they swooned onto their lap. Nil lets out a shy laugh, heart still beating heavily from the rush of emotion and adrenaline that came with laying their heart so bare to someone else. “So… I take it you liked it, then?” they ask, trying to keep their voice from shaking as much as they were sure the rest of their body was.

“That was beautiful, Nil.” Vox gazes up at them with a smile, cheeks rosy with blush. “You made that one yourself, didn’t you?”

“Yes…” Nil leans down while gently lifting Vox a bit to plant yet another tender kiss on their lips. Just as Nil goes to pull away, Vox throws their arms around Nil and pulls them back in for a more passionate, though still equally as tender, smooch. “I have one more gift for you, actually,” Nil says when they finally pull away. Vox settles back down beside Nil at the edge of the bed, eyeing them curiously. “I, ah…” Nil fumbles a bit as they try to gather their words, but eventually clears their throat and continues. “I wanted to give you something tangible to hold onto, something that you could remember me by while I was away, something more easily accessible than the memory of a song. I... was hoping maybe I’d find a nice trinket or something while we were about town together, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized something like that just wouldn’t do...” Nil takes a moment to swallow hard, avoiding eye contact for once that night. Well, until they shifted into Silvertongue, at least. Once their form shifted into the familiar form of the pale tiefling, their gaze met Vox’s once more and they took a quiet deep breath before continuing. “I told you how I modeled this face after my mothers...”

“You did.”

“It’s not like any of my other personas... I sat in front of a mirror for hours and hours, I went through countless photos of their relatives and shifted between mom and momma’s features until I got everything to look just right. I don’t think I can manage to do something like that again, so… this persona’s completely unique. And...” Nil, as Silvertongue, reaches out and takes one of Vox’s hands in both of theirs. “I want to share it with you.”

Normally, sharing personas wasn’t something that required consent from the other party. However, Nil hadn’t grown up exposed to other changelings. Up until they had met Vox, Nil had no idea how changelings were even supposed to operate as a functioning race. All they knew was that non-changelings tended to regard them with distrust, and that they didn’t like other people using their likeness unless they happened to be born with the same features. To any other changeling, this might seem like unnecessary melodrama, but Vox knew by now that this wasn’t something Nil took lightly. And that touched them. Deeply. Nil could see it on their face.

“Thank you, Nil. That means a lot coming from you.” Vox reaches out and pulls Nil into a hug. Nil squeezes them back and reverts back to their true form, unable to get any more words out of their mouth at the moment. “Now no matter how far you go, I can still see you whenever I want. It’s perfect.”

“Right?” Nil pulls back from the hug to grin at Vox. Their eyes were watery, welling up from all the emotion that had been building up throughout their evening together. “I… I wish I had enough time to teach you how to play, though… Guitar, I mean.” Nil feels Vox take their hands in their own and give them a gentle little squeeze.

“It’s fine,” Vox responds warmly with a chuckle. “That just means we’ll have something to do together when you come back.” Nil’s eyes lit up at this.

“Yeah! Yeah, you’re right…” 

“For now, I think it’s time we get some sleep. It’s been a long day, after all.”

“Right…” Nil didn’t want this day to end, but Vox was right. For all Nil knew, the crew would probably be leaving Korth as soon as possible tomorrow. They still had an important date with the remaining wayfinders. “Right,” they say again, this time a whisper. “I’ll wash up for the night, then.” Nil leans over and gives Vox a quick smooch before getting up and heading toward the bathroom. “I shouldn’t be too long,” they assure them before slipping inside and shutting the door behind them...

A little later, after washing up and taking a short bath, Nil takes some time to dry off before leaving the bathroom. As they comb their long white hair after rubbing a towel against their head one last time, they find themself staring into the mirror. Nil pauses to gingerly reach out and touch their own reflection in silent thought. They shifted their face between their own and Vox’s a few times before shifting back and smiling. A figure’s reflection stood above the sink, staring through long strands of silky white hair into the mirror of some fancy inn’s bathroom they couldn’t be bothered to remember the name of right now. Their wide, black-framed eyes of pure white stared at the pale featureless face before them, tears beginning to well up before they blinked and wiped them away.

_To think that I ever hated these features on my face so much…_

Nil sets the comb down, gives their clothes and undergarments a quick prestidigitation, folding the former up and putting on the latter, and hangs their used towel up before opening the bathroom door and returning to Vox, who’d already gotten comfortable and turned all the lights except for a lamp by the bed off.

“Sorry for the wait... didn’t want to go to bed with soaking wet hair. You know how it is.”

__  



End file.
